Bendigo Invests $18M to Upgrade Sporting Facilities, Add Esports Hub

The City of Greater Bendigo will open the $18 million redevelopment of the Bendigo Regional Sports Complex at Epsom next month, adding two new multi‑purpose fields and a warm‑up area that can host up to 1,200 spectators. The complex, at 100 Station Street, already serves 14 sporting clubs, including the Bendigo Braves basketball program and the Bendigo Cricket Club, and the expansion is expected to absorb 30 per cent more weekly bookings from September.

Why the upgrade matters now

The push comes after the local population tipped 120,000 in the 2026 census, putting strain on existing venues. Bendigo Netball Association reported a 22 per cent increase in junior registrations over the past two years, and the Bendigo Football Netball League has launched a fresh bid for a third oval at Queen Elizabeth Oval on View Street. The council’s 2025‑30 Sport and Recreation Plan, released last November, flagged that 14 of the city’s 22 main outdoor spaces are operating at or above 85 per cent capacity during peak season.

Ten minutes from the city centre, the Goldfields Gymnastics Academy on McIvor Road has nearly doubled its enrolled children to 1,100 since 2023. Its director asked the council for extended daylight hours after a survey found 40 per cent of families drove from as far as Heathcote and Maryborough for evening sessions.

Bricks, turf and screens: what’s being built

The new Bendigo Regional Sports Complex fields feature floodlighting approved for night‑time AFL and soccer matches, and a synthetic pitch for hockey and futsal. The change‑room block includes two accessible unisex facilities and a dedicated warm‑up room for wheelchair rugby. The council also stumped up $240,000 for the Bendigo Esports Centre, which opened in May in the renovated Bendigo Town Hall annexe on Pall Mall. It currently hosts a Fortnite league for 14‑to‑18‑year‑olds and runs weekend “health and gaming” workshops with La Trobe University’s rural health campus.

On the outskirts, the Bendigo Racecourse redevelopment on Heinz Road is still waiting for state government sign‑off on the $6 million straight‑track upgrade for harness racing. The Bendigo Harness Racing Club says the track’s drainage failures during the 2025 winter caused three meetings to be abandoned, costing the local economy an estimated $450,000 in lost visitor spending.

What happens next

The expanded sports complex officially opens on August 1, with a community open day from 10am to 4pm. Free shuttle buses will run from the Bendigo train station on Railway Place. The council will then begin a six‑week public consultation on a proposed $3.2 million indoor aquatic centre at the Bendigo Aquatic Centre on Nolan Street, which would add a 25‑metre warm‑water pool and a splash park. Submissions close on September 12.